1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to wall mounted fixtures. More specifically, it relates to wall mounted fixtures wherein the height needs perforce to be adjusted to allow for a barrier free environment such as are currently required to allow access by the handicapped to public facilities. More specifically, it relates to an apparatus that can be used to raise the height of the sink, basin, or like object without forcing the user to tear out the wall and backsplash panel to gain access to the support arms and adjustment devices thereinbehind. More generally, the present invention relates to any application where an object is supported by a fixture located behind a wall, and it is desired to adjust the height of the object with a minimum of construction and the associated downtime of the facility.
Thus it can be seen that the potential fields of use for this invention are myriad and the particular preferred embodiment described herein is in no way meant to limit the use of the invention to the particular field chosen for exposition of the details of the invention.
A comprehensive listing of all the possible fields to which this invention may be applied is limited only by the imagination and is therefore not provided herein. Some of the more obvious applications are mentioned herein in the interest of providing a full and complete disclosure of the unique properties of this previously unknown general purpose article of manufacture. It is to be understood from the outset that the scope of this invention is not limited to these fields or to the specific examples of potential uses presented hereinafter.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A number of common devices exist for the installation of sinks, basins and the like in lavatories. All of these units are disposed behind the wall of the room, thus requiring a person who wishes to alter the height of the convenience to partially or totally dismantle the wall. This leads to a prolonged closing of the facility which, in the case of a public restroom, can lead to considerable inconvenience to the patrons of the facility. Additionally, the expense involved is not inconsiderable. Recently, laws have been proposed and passed that require a certain number of basins in public areas to be accessible to handicapped persons; i.e. that they must be a specified height above the ground to allow for the passage of a wheelchair. Retrofitting the facility to comply with these regulations can be a hardship to organizations that are already under budgetary strain. The present invention seeks to address this problem by providing an apparatus that allows the user to alter the height of the basin or sink without removing a large portion of the rear wall. A search at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office revealed the following patents that relate to this field:
U.S. Pat. No. 1,391,091 issued to Emery H. Arbuckle on Sep. 20, 1921 discloses an adjustable sink. The sink is supported by a bracket that includes a number of lugs interengageable with a threaded vertical member. Unlike the present invention, there is no disclosure of engaging an existing structure behind the wall.
In U.S. Pat. No. 1,657,020 issued to Thomas Mason on Jan. 24, 1928 there is disclosed a lavatory support. This invention supports the basin through either a vertical support embedded in the wall, or an anchoring rod extending rearwardly of the support member through the wall and terminating in lateral flanges to guard against inadvertent tilting. Contrast this with the instant invention, which allows the user to adjust the light of the basin or other convenience without adjusting any portions of the support lying behind the wall facing.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,819,473 issued to Albert A. Baker et al. on Jan. 14, 1958 discloses a support for lavatories and the like wherein the main support includes feet embedded in the floor and the T-shaped arm supporting members attached thereto are held in their predetermined positions by set screws. This is dissimilar from the present invention in that the present invention is adapted to modify an existing support.
Lastly, U.S. Pat. No. 2,937,381 issued to Vincent T. Manas on May 24, 1960 discloses a carrier construction wherein duplex bracket structure allows for the back to back assembly of lavatory bowls or the like. This is clearly dissimilar from the present invention in that no post-construction height variation is taught without the wholesale tearing down of the wall behind which the support is located.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.